HIS CHOICE
by sailor silvimoon
Summary: "I'm sorry for everything." He said, leaving two girls in shock by the grave. 'Two down, four to go.' Set after 2.21. Damon has been bitten by Tyler, but he didn't say anything. Instead, he made a decision, taking his life in his hands.


Title: **HIS CHOICE  
**Type: One-shot  
Pairing: Damon (the main character), Stefan, Elena  
Genre: Family, Tragedy  
Rating: T (just to be safe)  
Chapters: 1  
Status: Complete  
Summary: "I'm sorry for everything." He said, leaving two girls in shock by the grave. 'Two down, four to go.' Set after 2.21. Damon hs been bitten by Tyler, but he didn't say anything. Instead, he made a decision, taking his life in his hands.

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Vampire Diaries.

**AN/** _Italic are thoughts._

_/_

Damon watched Elena from a small distance. She was beautiful, even in mourning, wearing tight black dress and high heels. _'She looked grown-up; serious…well with all that had happened it was no wonder…'_ He thought.

It was a small gathering, only Elena's closest friends. Stefan was there, holding her when she would stumble, and for the first time he didn't feel envy. In fact, he didn't feel anything. He looked at Ric, the man who was his best friend. He too looked older. And broken. He watched him putting one red rose on Jenna's grave, and even from a distance he could see the struggle he was fighting against tears. Yes, Alaric was fighting the tears that clouded his vision. His hand trembled when he put a rose on a fresh dirt. Once again, he lost the woman he loved. Only this time, she was really dead.

Elena was now placing roses on her adopted parent's grave, and even on John's. Damon couldn't help but to ask himself would she put a rose on his grave in a few days. Would she shed a tear for him. His arm was killing him and he could feel sweat on his forehead. He noticed Stefan was giving him a strange look from time to time, but he didn't care. He would find soon enough… He knew what he had to do, and when he noticed Bonnie and Caroline walking to the other part of the graveyard, he instantly knew where they were heading. And the fact Bonnie had one rose in her hand was a clue enough. Few minutes later, he found them at Sheila Bennett's grave, Bonnie's Grams. He gave them few moments alone.

"Oh, well, I'll start with them." Damon mumbled to himself, then cleared his throat.

"Damon! What do you want?" Bonnie asked, turning around.

"Bonnie, Caroline… I want to apologize for everything I've done to both of you."

"What?" They gasped. "Look Damon, I don't know what sick game you're playing, but…" Bonnie said, but Damon interrupted her.

"Bonnie. I'm not playing any game here." He said tiredly. "I mean it. I'm sorry for everything." With that, he left, leaving two girls standing in shock.

His next stop was the bar where he was certain Ric would be. And he was right. He sat next to him, and ordered bourbon. They sat in silence for a long time, drinking away their sorrow and pain.

"I'm sorry for killing you." Damon suddenly whispered, low, but loud enough for Alaric to hear.

"What?" Ric chocked, eyeing Damon suspiciously. When he didn't look back, he noticed how pale he was, and a bead of sweat. "Damon? Are you ok?" He asked worriedly.

"Yes. I'm fine. Look, you are my best friend, my only friend…and all I want to say is I'm sorry. For everything." Damon said, finally looking Ric in the eyes.

Alaric could see, in the blue of his eyes, he was telling the truth, and how serious he is, and he pulled him in embrace.

"I forgive you. And you are my friend too." Second later, he released him, and Damon finished his drink.

"Well, I'll be going now. I have one more stop, before…" Damon said, getting up, and Ric only nodded.

Ric couldn't shake the feeling something was off with Damon, but then he returned to his drink. _'Problems will still be here tomorrow.'_ He thought, ordering one more shot.

It was night when Damon knocked on Elena's window. He was sitting in his car, not far from her house, for an hour or two, gathering his courage. Elena was startled when she heard a knock on the window, and shocked to see Damon there. He never knocked.

"May I come in?" He asked, and she nodded.

At her clearing her throat, he realized he was standing there for a while without a word. He took deep breath and silently said.

"I want to apologize."

"Damon…" Elena sighed, but he continued.

"I mean it. Feeding you my blood was wrong and I know I don't deserve your forgiveness, but… I need it. And not just for that. For everything."

"And I need some time." She answered. "Maybe a lot of time."

"Sure. Of course." Damon said brokenly, forcing back the tears that threatened. "Take all the time you need."

He had to get out of there. All the emotions he was holding back, he couldn't anymore. He was leaving the woman he loves more than anything and she didn't even know about it. The pain in his hand was nothing compared to the pain in his heart. He stood there for only a couple of seconds, but for him, those seconds seemed like a lifetime. Then he turned toward the window, and saw the reflection of Elena.

"I love you Elena." He whispered low, knowing she couldn't hear him. Tears flowed, and he jumped out of the window. And it felt he left his heart behind.

/

Elena tossed and turned all night. She couldn't get Damon out of her head. His words, his broken blue eyes…and she was certain she saw a tear. Something was wrong. She was sure of it. It was near dawn when she realized. His words, his last look, seemed suspiciously like a goodbye. She stilled in her bed and recalled his every word. She felt pain in her chest when she remembered the devastated look that lasted only for a second, however she was sure she saw it. Taking her phone, she dialed his number. It went straight to the voicemail, which meant he turned his phone off. That got her even more worried. Never, since the day she met him, did his phone was off. Then she called Stefan. He answered after second ring.

"Elena? What's wrong?" He asked worriedly.

"Stefan? Is Damon there in the house with you?"

"I don't know. Why?"

"Please look. It's important." She pleaded.

"No. he is not here." He said after a minute.

"Are you sure? You've look everywhere?"

"Yes, I'm sure. Elena, what is this about?"

"Stefan, don't be jealous. Now is not the time. Something is off with him. He came here couple hours ago and apologized for everything, and now he isn't answering his phone. Something is not right. He sounded strange, like he is saying goodbye or something."

"To you too?" Stefan was stunned.

"What do you mean by that?"

"Well, I ran into Caroline and she said Damon apologized to her and Bonnie for everything."

"WHAT?" Elena screeched. "And you are telling me that now?"

"Look, I thought it was just one of his sick jokes…"

"He is apologizing to the people he'd hurt and you thought it was a sick joke? Damon? Who never apologize? Don't you know your own brother?" Elena was yelling now, angry at Stefan, at herself, at everyone… "Look, let's just find him, we'll talk about this later. Much later." She said and hung up the phone.

Stefan was left standing in the empty house, guilt closing around him.

Elena walked down the stairs and noticed Alaric passed out on the couch. She hated waking him but..

"Ric?" She nudged him. "Ric, wake up!" Still nothing. She walked to the kitchen, grabbed a glass of cold water and poured it on Ric's face. That did the trick.

"ELENA! What the…" Ric asked.

"I'm sorry.! But this is important! Have you seen Damon?"

"Damon? Yeah. We had couple of drinks together earlier. Why?"

"Did he seemed strange to you?" Elena asked, dreading the answer.

"Yes. He said he was sorry for killing me, and he was a bit pale…Why?"

"Ric, something is wrong with him!" Elena said through tears. "He apologized to you, to Bonnie, to Caroline, to me…"

"And me." A voice said behind them, and they turned.

"Jeremy?" Elena started, but was interrupted by a call from Stefan. "Stefan? Have you found him?"

"Not yet. You?"

"No. Keep looking. I'll call Caroline, see if she could help too."

Elena called Caroline, Caroline called Tyler. They haven't spoke since the service, and when she told him what was going on, he almost fainted.

"Oh, my God! No!" Tyler whispered, suddenly remembering.

"What?" Caroline asked on the other line.

"I think I might've bitten him."

"WHAT?" She shrieked. Sure, she didn't like Damon, but he did save her and apologized for everything. And now, he is dying. And she is the one who has to tell Elena.

"Two days ago, when he saved us from…"

"Yeah, I know. Listen, I'll call Elena, and you call Stefan. He would want to know."

It was already past dawn when Caroline called Elena. Closing the phone, the tears rushed and she started to shake. Ric and Jeremy were both worried seeing her like that.

"Elena? Sis? What did Caroline said?" Jeremy asked.

"It was a goodbye…" She chocked. "…And I said I'll need time to forgive him. And now it's too late…"

"Elena?"

"It's too late, and it's all my fault!" She cried into Jeremy's shoulder when he caught her before she fell to the floor.

"Elena?" Ric asked, hating seeing her like this. "Tell us what's wrong."

"Tyler bite him!" Elena said, and cried even harder. She felt her heart was breaking.

The gravity of her words were not lost. They knew what that meant. Damon was out there, somewhere, dying…

"I have to go to the boarding house! Maybe…" Elena suddenly said, and ran from them.

/

When Tyler called Stefan and told him, he felt his heart broke. His brother was dying. Now, everything was meaningless. _No! He had to find him! And find the cure!_ He rushed back to the boarding house only to find Elena in the library, crying on the floor.

"Elena?" He asked, rushing toward her.

She didn't say a thing, just put an envelope in his hand, and something metal. He instantly knew what it was. Damon's ring.

_Baby brother_. He read.

_By the time you read this letter, I would probably be a corpse. I'm sorry for everything. For every harsh word I've said to you, for everything I did so you would hate me…but mostly for saying goodbye this way. If I told you face to face, you would know what was my intention, and you would probably lock me down in the basement, and went looking for a cure. No, don't shake your head, you know I'm right. I know you, you are my baby brother. You were my best friend, before… Now, when I'm dying, I want to die in my way. I don't think I could handle what Rose went through when she was bitten. So, finally, I'm taking my life into my hands. It is my choice. And it is only fitting to go to the beginning. _

_Take care of her! I did love her, and I'll always will, but you were right, she is better with you. I would probably hurt her along the way…_

_All I'm asking is…remember me from time to time, the good times…when it felt we were brothers…_

_I love you and I'll always will._

_Your big, handsome, smart brother. _

_Damon_

When Stefan read the letter he couldn't stop crying. Elena held him, crying as well. She read the letter over his shoulder. She couldn't believe Damon was gone.

Yes, Damon knew his brother very well. He would lock him in a basement and went looking for a cure. And he would know what he was up to. Stefan was disgusted with himself for thinking, even for a second, Damon wouldn't say goodbye to him like he did with everyone else. Thousand possibilities went through his head where could Damon go to die, then something caught his eye. Hi told him in his last words. '…_it is only fitting to go to the beginning.' _The beginning, where their immortal life begun. The quarry, just outside the town, by the river, where he forced Damon to drink the first blood and complete the transition.

Stefan looked through the window. Yes, the sun was up, but maybe…maybe he could still make it. It was a long shot but… in a blur, he ran toward the clearing.

When he got there, at first, he didn't see anything, then he smelled the burned flesh. He followed the smell, and soon e saw a familiar black jacket.

"Damon!" He screamed, pulling the body into the shade. He wasn't dead yet, and he tried to put the ring on Damon finger, but Damon closed his fist hard.

"No." He whispered.

"Damon, please?"

"No. it is time for you to let me go." He said hoarsely.

"I can't." Stefan cried. "I love you, big brother. I don't know if I can live without you! I need you in my life! Who is going to make me angry when…?"

"You can! You are strong, and you'll have her… Please? This is my choice. To make things right…for once…"

"No! I'll find the cure! Please Damon? Please don't give up?"

"It's time, Stefan. Let me go."

Stefan could se it was useless to fight. Damon was already week, from the sun and the poison.

"Forgive me." He whispered, holding his hand, and locking his eyes with Damon's.

Damon knew what he was asking, and with last ounce of strength, he said. "I already have." And closed his eyes forever.

Stefan cried over his dead body until night came, and then gently picked him up, and went home. Elena was waiting for him on the porch of the boarding house, chocking back a sob. However, the tears kept running. She reread the letter, and realized that Damon sacrificed his life so his brother could be happy. Stefan proceeded toward the family tomb, and placed Damon's body in one of the coffins. Elena came after him and gently squeezed his hand.

"Elena?" Stefan's voice was hoarse. "I need to be alone. I don't know for how long, but…"

"I understand." She said, leaving the tomb. Her heart broke when Stefan closed the door behind her, in some way pushing her out of his life. And she knew that nothing will ever be the same.

**AN/** First of all, don't kill me for this. I LOOOOVE Damon! But, I was feeling blue, and when ever I got in this mood I end up killing my main character. Creepy, I know! I did that with two or three Sailor Moon fic (one is posted: A DEATH WISH, if you want to read it).

And second, I know vampires don't die like this, but I wanted for the brothers to have a closure. A forgiveness. (among other things I've changed).

So please, tell me what you think. I kinda wish Damon didn't confess to Stefan about the bite in the show…it would be better if he found out by mistake or in some other way…

Anyway, I'm working on four stories for this fandom, so keep an eye. Until next story….


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